1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the transfer of information, and more particularly to the update of directory information from a directory assistance service to an electronic communication device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following descriptions and examples are not admitted to be prior art by virtue of their inclusion within this section.
Recently, telephone directories have become a common feature within telephones and other electronic devices due to the increasing demand for and use of electronic organizational tools. The feature often includes the ability to program and store a plurality of telephone numbers along with corresponding descriptors. Additional information such as mailing addresses, e-mail addresses, or other user-defined information may also be programmed into the directory depending on the storage capacity of the device. The directories serve to store information in an electronic format so that the user may retrieve it quickly. In several telephone apparatuses, a telephone number may be retrieved from the directory and the user may be subsequently connected to the corresponding destination, so that the number does not have to be manually dialed.
As indicated above, telephone directories may be included in a variety of devices to utilize the benefit of organizing telephone numbers, addresses and other pertinent information. Many telephones, including both landline and wireless, contain directories with programmable and storage capabilities. These devices offer the advantage of having a directory and telephone as one unit. Furthermore, directories within mobile telephones present an additional advantage of mobility. Other devices which may store directories include, for example, personal digital assistants (PDA""s) and facsimile (FAX) machines.
However, there are limitations associated with the use of current directory systems. For example, currently available systems may allow individual entries to be added, deleted or edited, but such systems may not allow efficient updating of a directory when multiple entries are involved. As communications devices such as telephones, FAX machines and PDA""s become more and more powerful, and their use becomes increasingly widespread, multiple situations may arise in which such updating is required. For example, a telephone user changing his place of employment may need to rapidly update his telephone""s directory to reflect the change in co-workers. In another example, an employee may obtain a different position within the same organization, and wish to efficiently transfer directory entries related to a particular project to her replacement on that project. Furthermore, a traveler may need to efficiently remove directory entries related to a geographic location that the traveler is leaving.
Management of the above situations may be difficult using current directory systems for several reasons. First of all, most applications require the user to manage the directory manually (i.e. adding, editing and deleting entries), which is tedious, laborious, and error-prone. The manual process can either entail punching a keypad, writing the information on a touch-activated pad, reciting the information in a voice-activated system or any other data-entering process. Furthermore, entry modifications are not typically brought to the user""s attention until the user attempts to employ the old information, making an up-to-date directory difficult to maintain. For example, when individuals move or change their telephone number, often the user of the device is not notified until the old number is called. The delay in obtaining accurate information lessens the advantage and effectiveness of possessing and accessing a personal directory. Alternatively, the user may opt to review each entry with a secondary source on a frequent basis in order to keep the directory current. However, this method of entry review is rather time-consuming and often deemed futile since the secondary source may not possess the latest information. Furthermore, entries within current directories must generally be deleted or edited individually, requiring large amounts of time by the user. For example, if the user has several directory entries for one company and the company moves to a new location, the address field for each entry associated with the company must be updated individually. In some applications, a modification may require the manual reentry of all of the information within the entry, thus occupying even more of the user""s time.
Often directory information is obtained from database resources, such as directory assistance, computer networks, or internet listings. However, the obtained information must often still be entered into the user""s personal directory manually. For example, when an employee changes departments within a company, the directory information for the employee""s new co-workers may be obtained from the company""s computer network. However, the employee will still need to enter the information into the telephone manually even though the network may have all of the information in the format that is required. Furthermore, current directory applications within telephones are unable to electronically transfer and receive information from other telephones. For example, an entry from one telephone directory cannot be electronically transferred to a directory within a second telephone. The inability of transferring and receiving entries from directory databases limits the effectiveness and use of the directory within the telephone and consequently the telephone itself.
Occasionally portions of directory entries, which may be referred to herein as entities, need to be modified, while sometimes only portions of entities require modification. For example, when an area code has changed for a given set of telephone numbers within a geographical region, only the area code of the telephone number changes while the base number remains the same. However, current directory applications in telephones are unable to update portions of individual entities since the entities themselves are not structured in segments. This task of updating the entire entity is tedious and is often forgone due to time-consuming steps. This problem may lead to an accumulation of multiple entries for the same name, taking up valuable memory space or leaving the user with conflicting information. The programs of the current applications do not query the listing of directory entries to determine if the entry already exists, thus allowing the potential accumulation of equivalent entries.
In addition to the limitations as noted above, many current telephone directories do not offer an easy avenue of highlighting and removing unused entries. For example, entries of a client that a salesperson no longer calls upon may be overlooked and not deleted, thus taking up valuable memory space. Alternatively, the user may know in advance if an entry is not going to be used after a given period of time or can associate a plurality of entries with a certain identity, so that when the user no longer needs the entries, they can be deleted. Removing unused entries allows the user to organize and access directory entries faster. However, the user must currently remember which entries to remove and delete them manually. Since entry removal is a manual process, the benefit of better organization and easier access is sometimes sacrificed due to the time and effort required to maintain the directory.
It would therefore be desirable to develop an organizational and management system for telephone directories within electronic devices that address the aforementioned limitations. It would further be desirable to develop a system and method allowing communication with another device or database without the requirement of maintaining a line-of-sight path between the two entities, but rather by using the inherently built-in communication capability of the devices. The desired system and method should be simple to use and require minimal effort by the user.
The problems outlined above are in large part addressed by a system and method for organizing and managing directory entries within electronic communication devices. Electronic communication devices may include, but are not limited to telephones, facsimile machines or electronic organizers. As storage capacity of electronic devices increases and more devices are created that require telephone numbers for product use (i.e., telephones, facsimiles, pagers, etc.), there becomes a need to expand the complexity of organizational structures and directory management systems within directories of electronic communication devices. The most simplified directory management structure within electronic organizational devices is one that contains individual records, commonly called entries, without the categorization of multiple entries. More advanced structures organize entries into groups. An entry may comprise of a variety of information (i.e., a person""s name, telephone number, address, etc.), which may be defined as entities. Often entries share a common entity or theme and may be placed in a category defined by that commonality, thus creating a more complex directory management structure. However, current electronic communication device applications limit the categorical management of directory entries to be of a single layer structure. As such, a category cannot have categories within itself, inhibiting the organization of a plurality of entries within an individual category. This simplified structure usually restricts the organization of the entries even further by requiring that all entries be classified into a category. Consequently, the user may place an entry into a category that does not fit into the commonality of the other entries within the category, making it more difficult to locate the entry at a later date. Another restriction often encountered in current electronic communication devices is only allowing an individual directory entry to be contained within one category. For example, a directory entry of a family member or co-worker may fit into multiple categories (i.e., family, work, softball team, etc.). With this single category limitation, the directory entry of the family member may only be located in one category, restricting the efficient use of the directory.
In a method described herein, directory within directories of electronic communication devices may be organized using sets and subsets in a hierarchical fashion. More specifically, a subset may include one or more entries and a set may include one or more subsets, thereby creating a multi-level organizational data structure. Furthermore, directory entries may be also located in sets and on the contrary, directory entries may not be located in sets or subsets at all. This organizational data structure of directory entries, subsets, and sets may then be applied to a directory management system as recited herein to simplify the accessibility and management of directory entries.
Each directory entry is defined by entry content values and identifiers, which are organized into fields. Entry content values, which characterize the information within the directory, may include names, telephone numbers, mailing addresses, or email-addresses. Furthermore, entry content values may include information such as expiration criteria, tag values specific to the entry (i.e., code name, company name), or information defined by the user. Identifiers may be used to distinguish each entry and are presented to the user for access and management purposes in a visual or audible manner. For example, display screens or verbal commands may be used to present the identifiers. Identifiers may be also used to specify names of sets and subsets for the same purposes. The entry values and identifiers within each directory entry may be organized into fields sharing a common entry content value designation (i.e., name, telephone number, mailing address, etc.). The sets and subsets of a directory serve to organize the entries within the directory, while the fields of an entry serve to organize the entry content values within the entry.
The management of directory entries within the multi-level organizational data structure may be maintained by employing a directory management program. The directory management program may be activated by commands initiated by the user. These commands preferably require a negligible amount of manual operation, and thus very little time is required by the user. These commands may include adding, deleting, editing and transferring one or more entries within a directory, with the inclusion of search and sort commands to access and modify entries with common entry content values. The directory management program may also allow the user to manage multiple entries using the same aforementioned commands, thereby simplifying and reducing the amount of time used to manage the entries. Alternatively or in addition, the commands may be used to transfer directory entries from one device to a directory of another electronic device.
Directory management may be required to maintain current entries within a directory. Entry additions are often necessary, for example, when meeting or working with new people. Conversely, entry deletions aid in xe2x80x9ccleaning upxe2x80x9d a directory to maintain its simplicity and organization. Removal of entries is often beneficial when individuals have been transferred to a new department within the workplace or when a project has been completed and the corresponding directory entries are no longer needed. Editing is often the most common form of maintaining a directory, stemming from frequent changes in telephone numbers, names and mailing addresses. Transferring entries may allow a user to move entries to a new location within a directory or to other electronic devices. Entries may also be transferred to an electronic device via an electronic database. For example, according to one embodiment of the method as described herein, individuals may transfer directory information from directory assistance into their electronic devices. This transfer feature may reduce the number of entry additions made to directories within the electronic devices, thus reducing the amount of manual operations required. Furthermore, search and sort commands may be used to find specific entries quickly. For example, if a salesperson wanted to look for an e-mail address of a client, but could not remember in what category the client was placed, a search command could be employed to look for the client""s name. Alternatively, a sort command could be used to sort all of the directory entries in alphabetical order by entry content values in the name field.
In order to automate modifications to the directory, the device in the method as described herein provides a processor to execute program instructions within the directory management system to complete the given tasks initiated by the user. More specifically, the presently claimed device includes a processor, a storage medium, and an output controller. The processor allows input to be processed through the storage medium to the output controller. The output controller presents information from the storage medium to the user in a format defined in the controller. The storage medium contains the aforementioned multi-level organizational data structure and directory management program. Other mediums may be included in the storage medium or the device itself, such as tracking or transitory mediums as discussed below. The processor is activated by input into the device, either by signal or user-input.
A further embodiment of the method as described herein allows for additional management features to be included in the directory management program. For example, the data structure of the device may be enabled with a field for expiration criteria. A user may enter the expiration criteria for an entry that may be deleted in the future. Expiration criteria may include a date and time, a tag value (i.e. code name, company name), or an area code designation. The date and time specifies a particular date and time to delete the entry, while the tag value marks specific entries to be deleted when initiated by the user. The area code designation specifies that when the device leaves the area code in which the device has been residing, the entries that contain the expiration criteria with that area code designation will be deleted. For-example, if an individual is relocated to a location of a different area code for six months, there may be certain directory entries that the individual may not need after the individual leaves the location (i.e., hairdresser, auto mechanic, etc.). The use of an expiration field eases the task of managing a directory.
As stated above, the directory system of the method as described herein will contain a processor, storage medium and an output controller in which to process the information from input to output. In the current embodiment, the storage medium of the device will also contain a tracking medium in addition to a data structure and directory management program. The tracking medium is used to track the actual date, time and area code in which the device is located. The processor continually or periodically executes program instructions within the directory management program to compare the expiration criteria established within the data structure with the corresponding information values in the tracking medium. Devices may be programmed to alert the user if the expiration criterion of an entry has matched a corresponding information value in the tracking medium, and thus present the user with the option to delete the item. The device may also be programmed to automatically send expired entries to a xe2x80x9cdeletexe2x80x9d file in which the user may not be notified that the file has been removed from the main directory. The user would then access and activate a purge command to ultimately delete the items. In some circumstances, it may be advantageous to automatically delete the items without requiring any user interaction. Thereby, in an essence, the device is self-maintained in deleting expired entries. The user does not have to be xe2x80x9cbotheredxe2x80x9d with the cumbersome task. Enabling the directory with an expiration field preprograms the management of the device, allowing minimal intervention from the user.
As noted above, devices may include transmitting capability between multiple devices. This is particularly advantageous for transferring and receiving multiple directory entries. For example, a person who changes jobs within a company may want to move a plurality of directory entries pertaining to a particular project from her directory to the directory of the person taking the her old job. Another example may have an individual copy his set of directory entries pertaining to his family members to a directory of a device of another family member. The organizational structure of the method as described herein may offer a manner in which to transfer and receive directory entries from one device to another. Once the entries have been selected, the user enters a destination telephone number and the destination device receives the transfer request. The directory system of a device that can receive and transfer directory entries can be of a similar structure of the device described above. In addition to the inclusion of a processor, storage medium, and output controller, a transitory medium exists to enable the transfer and receipt of entries. The transmitting capability also offers communication between a device and a database. For example, directory assistance is a database that is commonly used by customers of a telephone service provider. Other databases include a directory system within a computer network or a simple list of directory information. In the embodiments of accessing a database, the transfer of the entries is only in the direction of the database to the device by utilization of a destination telephone number. Alternatively, the directory entry may be downloaded to the device which activated the database, instead of entering in a destination telephone number. Alternatively, the entry may already exist in the directory of the device. Therefore, the program instructions executable by the processor initiate a search of all of the directory entries within the second device to search for any matching entry content values and then asks the user if the two entries are the same. If the user selects that they are the same, the processor executes program instructions to update the rest of the entry content values with the transferred entry.
The communications interface between the electronic communications device and the user of the method as described herein allows quick and easy accessibility and management of directory entries. The device may be programmed to present and receive information to and from the user. Presenting includes visual or audio presentations, whether the entries are presented on a display screen or by audible instructions. Receiving may include receiving a vocal command or a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tone. In certain instances, devices are adapted to communicate with other electronic devices utilizing directory management systems. These communications include transmitting and a different form of receiving. Transmitting comprises automatically dialing a telephone number designated to another device or sending digital messages for the other device to present. The other form of receiving includes receiving transmitted information from the other device.
Directories as used in the applications recited herein refer to information databases within electronic organizational devices in which to store information regarding a particular individual, organization, or place. The information is programmed into the device by the user via a manual data-entering process or downloading the information via a transmitting signal. The directories are protected from modifications not authorized or programmed by the user, thus only allowing the user to manage and obtain access to the directory of the device. The structure of the directory entries within the method as described herein is adaptable to directory entry structures of other organizational devices in that information can be transferred in the same format.
Prior to the invention of the method as described herein, such multi-level organization data structures and directory management programs did not exist in directories within electronic communication devices. As society requires more and more tools to organize such matter, the need to create a directory with such organizational and management systems within an electronic communication device grows. There has also become a driving need to have portable organizational tools in which directory information can be readily available. The multi-level organizational data structure and directory management program within the system as described herein meets these demands and offers consumers alternative options with which to organize directories within their electronic communication devices.
The system and methods as described herein may offer several advantages over present organizational tools. They minimize the tedious, manual operations of maintaining directory entries and thus, aid in optimizing the efficiency of using a directory and the use of the device in which the directory is placed. The multi-level organizational data structure and directory management program allow the user of a device to quickly locate a given entry or multiple entries, in addition to managing multiple entries at once. In some instances, as discussed above, the user does not have to initiate the directory management program to update the directory entries within the device.
The system and method as described herein may allow the organization and management of a directory system within an electronic communications device in a concise and structured manner. Directory entries may be managed within organized sets or subsets or independently. Due to the increase of people using portable electronic organizers and capacity of which the devices can hold, more entries are being placed into the devices and thus a more organized structure and system is needed.